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F . FOREST AND STREAM. ° _ 297 
re ee eee eee 
Salmon of from 30 to 40 pounds were numerous. The 
salmon fisheries in England and Wales have been more 
than ordinarily remunerative. The Severn River claims 
the heaviest fish, one of 78 pounds, but this is not quite 
authenticated, though several of 60, and many of 50 pounds 
were captured. In the Usk, called the Premier angling 
water of England, one angler in a single day caught 26 fish 
weighing 280lbs. In the Hampshire Avon, fish of 87 pounds 
have been taken. In the Eden and Derwent, the runs of 
fish have been quite large, some weighing over 40 pounds. 
In Ireland the take of salmon in the estuaries and lower 
waters have been unusually productive, and Billingsgate 
Fish Market has been bountifully supplied from this source. 
The largest Irish salmon weighing 58 pounds was caught 
in the Shannon, a fish in the Suir was second, being only a 
pound less in weight. The Ballyshannon fisheries yielded. 
many more tons of fish than on any preceeding year. 
These fine results as we have before stated, are due tothe 
exertions of the anglers. In proof of this, as early as 1860, 
the Royal Commissioners fairly and fully acknowledged 
angler’s rights, and stated the obligations they were under 
to the private salmon fishermen, for advice as to how the sal- 
mon should be best protected, and their number increased. 
Such results as recorded are most pleasant for us to pub- 
lish. The Forgst AND STREAM endeavors to inculcate this 
idea, ‘‘ that a practical knowledge of natural history must of 
necessity underlie all talents which combine to make the perfect. 
sportsman.” 
gun in hie h ifheis a | ; 5 Pee : 
Whether a man has a rod or a gun in hie hand, if he is ‘a | promptness, not harshness, as his delicate organization will 
true sportsman, he looks to the: protection of the birds, 
beasts or fish, which afford him amusement. It isno longer 
pardoxical to state that the destroyer of the game is its true 
preserver. 
——_—___+e_____ 
CUBA, .ORNITHOLIGICALLY. 

ITH war and war’s alarums the Forest AND 
STREAM has little to do.. Our province is a more 
peaceful one. Now that the chances are many that a set- 
tlement with Spain in regard to Cuba will be managed by 
protocols, memoranda and notes, more or less windy, in- 
stead of by shot shell, and bayonets, we rejoice in the fact. 
Nevertheless, should we have come to blows, what a gal- 
lant regiment could have been furnished from our own 
sun-browned and weather-stained ‘subscribers, whose ex- 
perience in arms and in the field would make a formidable 
reinforcement for those who strike for human rights and 
liberty. 
Some time ago, when writing about the English conflict 
with the Ashantees, we remarked that now-a-days the natu- 
ralist and the soldier walked together with martial stride, 
and that often the man of war and the devotee of science 
were found in one and the same individual. Some of our 
own people might have perhaps gloated over the possible 
possession of fields studded thick with the golden sugar- 
cane, or revel in the idea of owning the Vuelta Abajo dis- 
trict, with its plantations of fragrant tobacco. We took, 
however, a more placid, less ambitious view, and only 
thought of the birds, fishes and beasts, of all those rich 
treasures to be acquired by the sportsman and the natural- 
ist. Qwien sabe? Perhaps it was the more philosophical 
way of looking at the question. Strange it is, how men ex- 
amine things from diverse and various standpoints. 
During the midst of the excitement a distinguished natu- 
ralst said to us, ‘“‘It is very terrible to think of war and its 
consequences, but honestly I shall be delighted if we get 
Cuba. There are at least some half dozen birds in that 
beautiful island I have been wanting to study for years. 
Now Ramon de la Sagra is good authority, and his book in 
its way is quite exhaustive in regard to the birds, fishes 
and animals of the Pearl of the Antilles, but as Cuba seems 
likely some day or other to be ours, it is only a question of 
time. I trust to spend a winter there and to indulge in my 
ornithological tastes, and I hope even to add another page 
to the book of American birds.” 
Cuba possesses innumerable birds of varied plumage and 
character. Situated in the tropics, the island contains 
many birds common to both North and South America. 
Gosse’s admirable book on the Birds of Jamaica will about 
cover the whole ornithological ground, though there are 
several special birds native to Cuba not found in Gosse’s 
work. Of reptiles Cuba has many, but no poisonous 
snakes. Alligators abound. Iguanas are found, and on 
her coast are numerous fish and all varieties of turtles. 
Of animals, save those introduced by foreigners, there 
are hardly any. What says the old chronicler of Colum- 
bus: ‘‘The Admiral disembarked and approached two 
houses; in one he found a dog who never barked, (qae nun- 
ca ladro.”) Oveida says Columbus found no four-footed 
animal, save dogs, and they gave out no sound. The same 
authority tells however of the peculiar’ rabbits which 
abounded at the period of its discovery, and mentions that 
the natives called them Quemi-Mohuy-Cori-Ayre, and 
Quabonquinares. These ruminants were varieties of the 
Agouti, which species has been almost exterminated in the 
West Indies. If the mammifers are wanting, the birds 
are found in wonderful variety. Ramon de la Sagra gives 
over 128 varieties. 
Of course do not wish to anticipate matters, but we be- 
lieve the time is not far; distant when some adventurous 
sportsman with naturalistic tendencies will give to a nu- 
merous public through the medium of Formst AND STREAM 
a glowing description of what is the game in our new ac- 
quisition, Cuba, and where such are to found, with inter- 
esting-data as to their habits. There is no doubt but that 
many a gap in the ornithological museum will some day be 
filled. 
” 
FLOGGING HUNTING DOGS. 
Le ES 
[Geeks aremany sportsmen who own hunting dogs 
(we don’t refer to hounds) who ought by all means to 
break them themselves. The system of halloing, speak- 
ing coarsely, and whipping for the slightest offence is 
much to be regretted. Sportsmen must recollect that when 
teaching a thoroughbred pointer or setter, they are dealing 
with an animal gentleman. No sportsman should attempt 
to break a yearling dog unless he is possessed of a fair 
even temperament, and has absolute control over himself. 
To castigate a puppy two minutes after he has committed 
a gross error in the ficld would be absurd, as his latent nat- 
ural instinct is almost instantly lost for the time being; but 
if heis whipped at the time the fault is committed, the 
puppy will at once know for what he has been chastised 
On no account whip him more than once a day, and then 
severely, as if youcontinue to lash him for every mistake 
he commits his dumb instinct gets mixed, and the puppy 
remains the same as when you started his schooling, only 
that you have cowed him and injured his temper. What 
is the first principle of dog-breaking ? It can be answered 
in a few words—simply to bring out the dormant instinct 
of the animal. How is it to be accomplished? By teach- 
ing him his A B OC first. Accustom the puppy to the 
sound of your voice; throw hima glove, etc., and tell him 
quietly, always in a low tone, to fetch it; make him your 
companion, but never be familiar—the familiarity should 
always be on the puppy’s side; treat him with decision and 
not admit of it. A clever writer on this subject, Mr. St. 
John, says: ‘‘Hvery dog with an average share of good 
sense and temper is so eager for his master’s approbation 
that he will exert himself to the utmost to obtain it; andif 
this fact were constantly kept in mind, the breaker-in of 
dogs need seldom have recourse to flogging. Indeed, I 
have no hesitancy in saying that five dogs out of six 
may be completely broken in without a blow, and that, 
generally speaking, quiet, patient reasoning with a dog is 
all that is requisite to secure his obedience and attention. 
I know that this is quite contrary to the opinion of most 
dog-breakers, who think ghat nothing can be done without 
a heavy whip and loud rating. But one thing at least is 
certain, that when you do punish a dog you should do it 
soundly, and only when you catch him ‘red hand’—in Jla- 
grante delicto. He cannot then mistake why you flog him.” 
Dogs have also a great deal of jealousy in their disposi- 
tions, and even this may be made to assist in their educa- 
tion, as it makes them strive to outdo each other. Every 
clever dog is especially unwilling that any of his compan- 
ions should possess a greater share of his master’s favor 
than himself. One of my dogs could not be induced to 
hunt in company with another, of whose advances in my 
good graces he was peculiarly jealous. There was no 
other quarrel between them. When Rover saw thata cer- 
tain young doz was to accompany me, he invariably re- 
fused to go out; and although at other times one of the 
most eager dogs for sport that I ever possessed, nothing 
would induce him to go out with his young rival. He also 
showed his jealousy by flying at him and biting him on 
every possible occasion, where he could do so unobserved. 
At last, however, when the young dog had grown older 
and discovered that his own strength was superior to that 
of his tyrant, he flew upon poor Rover and amply re- 
venged all the ill treatment which he had received at his 
hands. Although dogs form such strong attachments to 
man, they seldom appear to feel any great degree of friend- 
ship for each other. Occasionally, however, a couple of 
dogs will enter intoa kind of compact to assist each other 
in hunting. For instance, I have known an old terrier 
who formed an alliance of this sort with a greyhound, and 
they used constantly to go out poaching together. The 
terrier would hunt the bushes, whilst the greyhound sta- 
tioned himself quietly outside, ready to spring on any rab- 
bit or hare that was started, and she always took the side 
of the bush opposite to that by which the terrier had en- 
tered it. On losing his companion, the terrier, who was 
becoming old in years and cunning, entered into a conspir- 
acy with a younger terrier. In alltheir hunting excursions 
the old dog laid himself down at some likely looking run, 
and sending his younger companion to hunt the bushes, he 
waited patiently and silently for any rabbit that might 
come in his way. Their proceedings showed a degree of 
instinct almost amounting to reason. 
—_—_—_— 
—It has been calculated that in England, the loss of cat- 
tle from diseases propagated by the introducing foreign 
animals, has been fully £5,000,000 for each of the last thirty 
years. It seems to be the opinion there that the quantity of 
beef derived from imported cattle taking the losses in the 
home stocks into account, has not been actually increased. 
What they seem then to want in England is a stock of dead 
meat, as no practical means could be found to exercise a 
proper scrutiny in the importation of live stock. There 
is no reason why slaughtered meat from Texas or the West- 
ern Pacific plans should not be sent 10,000 miles. As has 
before stated in the Forrsr anp STREAM, the method of 
preserving meat must not depend onice alone. There are 
many mechanical ways with chemical adjuncts, by which 
the temperature of aship’s hold, or tanks full of meat placed 
in ships, could be refrigerated. It would be worth while 
if some of our ingenious experimentalists would give this 
subject their fullest attention. We believe this method of 
preserving meat by reducing the temperature, by making 
ice and keeping the meat at some point in the neighborhood 
of 32° Farenheit, is quite feasible, and really presents no 
more trouble, than to bring up the temperature to summer 
heat. This problem is one which must sooner or later be 
solved. When this method is made perfectly practical, it 
would add immensely to the wealth of the United States. 
Sparting Sews from Abroad. 
4 Bes curious question commented on by us in our last 
review in regard to the tiger hunting in India, and the 
remarkable complaint made that the Civil Service in her 
British Majesty’s Eastern dominions, monopolized all the 
tiger killing, has been further continued, and the corres- 
pondence in the Feld is quite singular in regard toit., One 
authority intimates that the killing of the tigers would by 
no means be desirable, and writes: ‘‘ where there are large 
extents of jungle full of game of ail kinds, hurtful to crops, 
I think that the tigers are certainly useful in killing these 
animals, and I am not sure that they do not in such a 
country do nearly as much good as harm.” This same 
writer is quite indignant too that all tigers should havea 
bad name, and he intimates that although some individual 
tigers ought possibly to be exterminated, there may be 
other tigers who are quite nice animals, and ought to have 
protection. Altogether it is a strange topic, and treated in 
an eccentric way. We are inclined to think the charges 
made against the Civil Service are absurd. 
—What we wrote in regard to Her Majesty’s Stag Hounds 
seems to find an echo in Land and Water. We stated that 
the idea of cooping up a stag in a cart, and then letting him 
loose to dogs and men, was both absurd and cruel, and not 
sport. A correspondent in our excellent English contem- 
porary mentions that at the last hunt two stags were unken- 
nelled, that they ran twenty minutes, were blown and died, 
and that both animals were out of condition. He proposes, 
and quite rationally, that the stags ought to be exercised 
first, say with harriers before putting the regular hounds on 
them, and he suggests that the Society for Preservation of 
Cruelty to animals should interfere, and concludes thus 
pithily ‘these scandals and cruelties must end.” Of course 
we would be the first to regret the extinction of this hunt, 
and of course the disappearance of these noble hounds, but 
times, manners and ways of amusements have changed. 
Look at it as we may, with due respect for old established 
customs, and the gallant gentlemen and ladies who follow 
her Majesty’s chase, between the bull fight of benighted 
Spain with the torreadors, and the stag hunt with the best 
bred men in enlightened England, the line of distinction to 
our eyes is quite imperceptible. 
—There died lately in Nottingham. the Mecca of cricket- 
ers, a brave cricketer, not unknown to us in this country, 
James Grundy by name. Many of us who pore over Eng- 
lish cricketing annals, have seen his name associated with 
the distinguished ones of Lillywhite, Alfred Shaw and 
Hillyer. As a batter, though good, the younger school of the 
Grace character far surpassed him; but as a steady bowler 
of the oid-fashioned kind, few were equal to him. Ina 
match at Lord’sin 1865, it is on record that Grundy bowled 
twenty-one successive overs without allowing a single run 
to be scored. ‘‘ What he did,” says one who writes a few 
kind lines in regard to him, ‘was to do his work honorably 
and efficiently, and he leaves an example to a rising gener- 
ation of professional cricketers which they will do well to 
study and initiate. ; 
—Those poor pheasants! Think how thick they must be 
at Marham House, Norfolk, thicker than mosquitoes on the 
Lake Superior Region. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, his Royal 
Highness the Prince of Wales, with numerous Earls, Lords, 
Viscounts, and Equerries, some ten guns in all, killed only 
1,018 pheasants, 53 hares and 14 rabbits. That makes over 
100 birds per gun, or man or Prince, we don’t know which: 
not counting the additional hares and superfluous rabbits. 
The days are short in November in England; presupposing 
aristocratic habits, a late dgeuner, and ample time to 
get back to dinner, in order to dress and to appear en grand 
tenue. Say these noble sportsmen shot four or five hours, 
the pheasants must have risen en masse, and have been so 
plentiful that whether to shoot or to knock the birds down 
with the but of their guns, must have been pretty much the 
same thing to this distinguished party. While on the 
pheasant question, this poor bird really has but few chances 
for life. The French garrison, near the good town of St. 
Germain, it seems have found out that an occasional bird, 
when added to their daily rations, was quite acceptable. 
If an English Prince bagged pheasants by the thousands, 
why should not the French private cabbage a few? Your 
French soldier with an intuitive instinct for subsisting on 
the enemy, studying the character of the pheasant, found 
out that he was fond of worms, and though a bird would 
take a well baited hook like a fish. Even a worm was not 
absolutely necessary, a fragment of. cloth from. his own 
pantalon garance would do the business. So he dressed his 
hook with a scarlet rag. Officers going into the men’s 
quarters had their olfactory nerves delighted with the 
Sumet of roasted pheasants. Of course such food, though 
succulent and wholesome, was not according to the dietetic 
instructions issued by the French Minister of War. French 
officers are, however, kind to their men, and though ne 
court martials a la Bazaine ensued, gentlemen preserving 
pheasants in the neighborhood of St. Germain were at once 
put on their guard. 
—CuHAmpPion EneiisH Porter, ‘“‘BELue.”—The portrait 
of this remarkable dog, the champion of England, the win- ’ 
ner of the great Rhiwlas Balla Field trials, elegantly en- 
graved by the Photo-lithographic Co., with pedigree ard 
points, will be for sale at the Forrest anp Srrram office, 
on and after Wednesday next, December 24th. Price, $1,00, 
sent by mail. . 

